The Futile Pursuit of a Rose
by Radical Ecstasy
Summary: Fragile words echo off walls louder then you'd ever believe. All he can offer her is this, all she can do is reason. HopexLightning DrabbleFluff TS T
1. Part I

A/N: So, this is my first fanfic in a long time, and its my first ever in FFXIII.

This takes place somewhere after they make it to Palumpolum, Hopes house, but sometime before they leave. At first I had it in my mind that this took place at an Inn, but I dotn remember them once staying in an Inn so I guess this is at Hope's house.

Also, For now, this is complete, because I havnt finished the game yet, but I think I might add another chapter when I do finish, depending on how it ends. Anyway Enjoy~!

EDIT: So thanks to all the reviews and I'm so sorry about the punctuation error!! It turns out its been so long since I've actually posted something on here, that I had forgoten how to, and uploaded the wrong format! Its better now, I think!

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The slightest sound wakes her and instantly, Lightning is as awake as can be. She grabs her blade and holds it out inches from Hopes face as he gasps and look strait into her eyes. She takes a deep breath and scoffs slightly under her breath, holding back her annoyance at this late hour. She glances at the clock on the wall, realizing its not late at all, its actually extraordinarily early.

"What are you doing?" She asked, sitting up and shifting her bare legs over the bed, she leans over and rests her elbows on her knees, trying to wake up enough to deal with the teenager. She ran her fingers though her hair waiting for Hope to speak. Out of the corner of her eye she saw a flash of red, she looked up, surprised, "What is...?"

"For you." Hope whispered, avoiding eye contact at all costs, "I thought... you might... uhm..." Lightning looked from his dodging eyes to the rose in his hand. She could hear them both breathing with the utmost clarity, the room seemed so small. Hope squeezed his eyes shut and thrust the rose towards her, "Please! Just..." Lightning snatched the rose out of his hand; Hope snapped his arm to his side and kept his eyes shut. She watched him close in on himself, slowly moving to inspect the rose in her hand. She ran the pad of her finger over the out side of the petals, her calluses so contrasting to the soft half shells. She lifted the elegant flower and gently inhaled, then slightly parted the petals on the inside to view its anther heart.

"Its... beautiful, Hope." She held the stem between her thumb and index finger.

"I, I thought you might... I mean, I wanted to..." Hope looked up at her desperately, licking his lips, near hyperventilation, "I needed, I thought... I wanted, I-"

"Hope, Hope..." Lightning put her free hand on his shoulder, then gently ran her fingers though his hair, "Hope, please, calm down and tell me what's going on." Again, Hopes eyes began to dart around.

"I just... I just..." He took a deep, shaky breath, "I guess, there's a little something left..." He looked straight down, then sharply up at her, "From Operation Nora."

Lightning gawked and looked at the rose, and slowly asked, "What do you mean?"

"I, still meant what I said, about toughening up!" He said, "Or, at least, becoming more confident." Hope winced, "Or at least talking about.. and being open... and..."

"Hope, Hope!" Lightning smiled slightly at him, "Calm down." Hope looked up at her and reached to her, gently laying his fingers on her cheek softly. He looked at her, long lashes heavy in the low light. Lightning suddenly understood.

"I..." Hope whispered, leaning forward slowly, "I..." Gingerly, oh so gingerly Hope pressed his soft lips against Lightning's. Lightning sighed and closed her eyes, waiting out the meek kiss until he pulled away, "Uhm... I just..."

"Hope." Lightning said his name strongly, pulling up a fallen strap of her night shirt, "I'm seven years older then you. Its... I'm sorry." She looked away from Hope's pained expression down to her leg, "You should go back to your room." Hope breathed in deep and bit his lip.

"But I-"

"Please Hope." Lightning looked slowly up at him, he looked so hurt. Lightning took in a shaky breath and placed one hand on his shoulder, "Hope... If I've said something, or done something that made you think..."

"You didn't." Hope said quickly, "I mean, you didn't lead me on or anything. This is my fault." Hope stood up and looked at his shoes, "I'll see you in the morning." He murmured then left the room. Lightning sat for a long time thinking to herself, lightly touching her lips. She knew the kiss was wrong, but that didn't stop it from feeling good, the softness of Hopes lips, the tingle of contact, and the shiver down her back. Lightning took a deep breath and reminded herself, Hope was fourteen, she was twenty-one. She knew they're destinies were not intertwined for long.

So she'd let him think she rejected him, rather then him know she wanted to give in.

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Hope you liked it, R&R. Please be gentle, but also tell me if I've messed up.


	2. Part II

A/N: Despite myself, I wrote a second part. Enough people said they wanted a happy ending, that I caved and wrote a second happier part. I wont write another part though, because if the trend continues, the next one will be a Disney movie with OOC! XD

This one takes place a week or so after the first part.

This part is not as good as the first, I dont like it nearly as much at least. But big props my amazing boyfriend who beta-ed this into oblivion for me!!

* * *

Lighting looks sharply up at him; she takes a deep breath and shakes her head, "What?" She asks, "Hope, I thought we talked about this..."

"We did." Hope looks down at the ground, and then back up at her, the ghost of a smile on his lips, "I just, thought you'd like it." Lightning sighs and shakes her head. Reluctantly, she reaches out and picks the rose from between his fingers. She looks at it, just as beautiful as the last, "I saw the way your eyes lit up last time," Lightning tries to ignore him, "And I wanted to see it again." She sighs again and shakes her head.

"Hope, please," She reminds him, "Try to understand," The ex-soldier turns away from him and takes a few slow steps away before deciding to sit down. She hears Hope sit down behind her, and puts a hand on him shoulder, "I don't want you to think that I don't..." She brushes some hair behind her ear as she searched for the right words, "I don't want you to think I dislike you."

"I… I know," Hope shrugs slightly and tilts his head to the side. Their silence bleeds on for a long moment before he takes his hand away from her reluctantly, "I understand, I'm fourteen... and you're twenty one."

"Right." Lightning nods quickly, after a moment she touches the rose again. It luscious and full, she notices. This one is white, elegant and mature, strong. The last one was red, sporadic and passionate. She distantly wonders if he'll get her a pink one next. Slowly, Hope stands up and looks down at her.

"But I won't always be fourteen." Lightning turns to look at him, catching the glint in his eyes, doesn't get a chance to recognize before its gone completely, "I won't always be fourteen, but as long as it makes you happy, I'll keep bringing you flowers." he says, smiling at her with eyes alight. Lightning swallows hard and pinches off a petal, then another, and another. Hope watches the falling petals, fluttering down like snow, littering the dirty ground. For a moment, he simply looks at them. Lightning holds it up to the sunlight spilling out from between two trees, it grows a halo of yellow, and blocks the sun with a silhouette over the bridge of her nose. She spins it and bites her lip, searching for the right words to explain.

"Seven..." She mumbles, "I took off seven." She sighs, "And you don't even notice because there are so many, it's just a tiny amount. But if there were very few," She brings the flower up to her nose and inhales the sweet scent that always reminds Lightning of her grandparents, even though she doesn't remember them ever having roses in their house, "If there were only a few petals left , it wouldn't even pass as a rose." Hope nods slowly then snaps his eyes up to hers.

"You mean-" Lightning makes a small sound, "So... Someday, I mean... Y-You'd consider...?" She reaches into her bag and slowly pulls out the red rose from a few days ago.

"I always thought red roses as more... bold, I guess, childish in a way," She commented as she stood up and turned to him, she offered it out to him, "Perhaps you should keep your impulsiveness for later." Hope smiles at her and walks forward to take the rose from her, knowing she kept it is enough to warm his entire body.

He looks at the rose in his hand, "I guess I'll have to keep bringing you roses then?"

"No," She says, "Just... keep making me smile. That will be enough for now." She looks down at her white rose, and slides it into her bag, gives him one more small smile, and walks away.


End file.
